Managing notification service connections

Abstract

A method and apparatus to manage notification service connections. In one embodiment of the invention, a mobile device schedules a notification service connection message transmission interval for each of a plurality of notification service connections. The mobile device also associates a notification service connection message transmission window with each notification service connection message transmission interval. The mobile device synchronizes transmission of notification service connection messages based on overlapping notification service connection message transmission windows.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for a mobile device to manage a plurality of notification service connections, comprising:
 scheduling a respective notification service connection message transmission interval for each of the plurality of notification service connections based on a respective required time interval associated with a respective notification service connection of the plurality of notification service connections, wherein the respective required time interval is determined based at least in part on a respective timeout interval of a respective notification service associated with the respective notification service connection; 
 associating a respective notification service connection message transmission window with each respective notification service connection message transmission interval, wherein the respective notification service connection message transmission window is a portion of the respective message transmission interval before an end of the respective message transmission interval, and wherein the respective notification service message transmission window has a respective duration that is less than a duration of the respective message transmission interval; 
 setting and monitoring a respective notification service connection message transmission timer of a plurality of notification service connection message transmission timers for each of the plurality of the notification service connections; and 
 in response to at least one of the plurality of notification transmission timers expiring:
 identifying a subset of the plurality of notification service connections, wherein the respective notification service connection message transmission window of each of the subset of the plurality of notification service connections overlaps the expiration of the at least one of the plurality of notification service connection message transmission timers; 
 synchronizing transmission of notification service connection messages for the subset of the plurality of notification service connections; and 
 transmitting a notification service connection message for all notification service connections at a periodic interval, and resetting each notification service connection message transmission timer. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , comprising entering a low power mode, wherein the entering into the low power mode is in response to a user command or a determination that a battery level is below a threshold. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of notification service connections is a push notification service. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of notification service connections is a pull notification service. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising disabling network connections other than the subset of notification service connections while in a low power mode. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising temporarily exiting a low power mode to synchronize the transmission and resuming the low power mode after the transmission, wherein the subset of notification service connections are inactive while in the low power mode. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when the mobile device is awake, transmitting a notification service connection message for a notification service connection upon expiration of the respective required time interval for the notification service connection and resetting the respective notification service connection message transmission timer associated with the notification service connection. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a low power mode of the mobile device includes a temporarily disabled application processor, and waking the mobile device includes re-enabling the application processor. 
     
     
       9. A mobile device to manage a plurality of notification service connections, comprising:
 a processor configured to place the mobile device into a low power mode; 
 a network connectivity element coupled with the processor, the network connectivity element to connect the mobile device with the plurality of notification service connections; and 
 a notification service connection manager coupled with the processor and the network connectivity element, the connection manager configured to:
 schedule a respective notification service connection message transmission interval for each of the plurality of notification service connections based on a respective required time interval associated with a respective notification service connection of the plurality of notification service connections, wherein the respective time interval is determined based at least in part on a respective timeout interval of a respective notification service associated with the respective notification service connection; 
 associate a respective notification service connection message transmission window with each respective notification service connection message transmission interval, wherein the respective notification service connection message transmission window is a portion of the respective message transmission interval before an end of the respective message transmission interval, and wherein the respective notification service message transmission window has a respective duration that is less than a duration of the respective message transmission interval; 
 set and monitor a respective notification service connection message transmission timer of a plurality of notification service connection message transmission timers for each of the plurality of the notification service connections; and 
 in response to at least one of the plurality of notification transmission timers expiring:
 identify a subset of the plurality of notification service connections, wherein the respective notification service connection message transmission window of each of the subset of the plurality of notification service connections overlaps the expiration of the at least one of the plurality of notification service connection message transmission timers; and 
 synchronize transmission of notification service connection messages for the subset of the plurality of notification service connections; 
 
 wherein the connection manager is further configured to transmit a notification service connection message for all notification service connections at a periodic interval, and reset each notification service connection message transmission timer. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The mobile device of  claim 9 , comprising entering the low power mode, wherein the entering into the low power mode is in response to a user command or a determination that a battery level is below a threshold. 
     
     
       11. The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to disable network connections other than the subset of notification service connections while in the low power mode. 
     
     
       12. The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of notification service connections is a push notification service connection. 
     
     
       13. The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of notification service connections is a pull notification service connection. 
     
     
       14. The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the mobile device to temporarily exit the low power mode to allow the connection manager to synchronize the transmission and cause the mobile device to resume the low power mode after the transmission, wherein the subset of notification service connections are inactive while in the low power mode. 
     
     
       15. The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the connection manager is further configured to, when the mobile device is awake, transmit a notification service connection message for a notification service connection upon expiration of the respective required time interval for the notification service connection and reset the respective notification service connection message transmission timer associated with the notification service connection. 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor, will cause the processor to perform operations to manage a plurality of notification service connections, comprising:
 scheduling a respective notification service connection message transmission interval for each of the plurality of notification service connections based on a respective required time interval associated with a respective notification service connection of the plurality of notification service connections, wherein the respective required time interval is determined based at least in part on a respective timeout interval of a respective notification service associated with the respective notification service connection; 
 associating a respective notification service connection message transmission window with each respective notification service connection message transmission interval, wherein the respective notification service connection message transmission window is a portion of the respective message transmission interval before an end of the respective message transmission interval, and wherein the respective notification service message transmission window has a respective duration that is less than a duration of the respective message transmission interval; 
 setting and monitoring a respective notification service connection message transmission timer of a plurality of notification service connection message transmission timers for each of the plurality of the notification service connections; and 
 in response to at least one of the plurality of notification transmission timers expiring: 
 identifying a subset of the plurality of notification service connections, wherein the respective notification service connection message transmission window of each of the subset of the plurality of notification service connections overlaps the expiration of the at least one of the plurality of notification service connection message transmission timers; and
 synchronizing transmission of notification service connection messages for the subset of the plurality of notification service connections; 
 
 wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a notification service connection message for all notification service connections at a periodic interval, and resetting each notification service connection message transmission timer. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations to manage the plurality of notification service connections, comprise entering a low power mode, wherein the entering into the low power mode is in response to a user command or a determination that a battery level is below a threshold. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of notification service connections is a push notification service. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the plurality of notification service connections is a pull notification service. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise disabling network connections other than the subset of notification service connections while in a low power mode. 
     
     
       21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise temporarily exiting a low power mode to synchronize the transmission and resuming the low power mode after the transmission, wherein the subset of notification service connections are inactive while in the low power mode. 
     
     
       22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 when the mobile device is awake, transmitting a notification service connection message for a notification service connection upon expiration of the respective required time interval for the notification service connection and resetting the respective notification service connection message transmission timer associated with the notification service connection. 
 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein a low power mode of the mobile device includes a temporarily disabled application processor, and waking the mobile device includes re-enabling the application processor.